Six to Battle it Out in Withers Stakes

Four different stakes races are on offering Saturday from Aqueduct, highlighted by the $250,000 Grade III Withers, for three-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the dirt. Last year Revolutionary launched his Kentucky Derby bid with a win in the Withers, followed by another in the Louisiana Derby. That got him into the starting gate at Churchill, and he ultimately wound up third in the Run for the Roses. Obviously, the connections of the six horses entered in the Withers are hoping to follow Revolutionary’s path to the Derby.

Samraat undefeated in career so far

First choice in the morning line for the Withers is New York-bred Samraat, listed at 7-5. A son of Noble Causeway, Samraat is 3-for-3 in his career, and scored a huge win last time out, taking the one mile Damon Runyon Stakes at Aqueduct by more than 16 lengths. A close second choice at 9-5 is the other NY-bred in the race, Uncle Sigh. Uncle Sigh has only raced twice, breaking his maiden second try when he won at Aqueduct by more than 14 lengths. Also a mile race, the winning time of 1:42.92 was more than a full second faster than Samraat ran the Damon Runyon.

Classic Giacnroll makes third stakes start

Listed as ML third choice at 5-1 is Classic Giacnroll, who has two wins I six lifetime starts and recent stakes experience, having finished third two starts back in the Marylander Stakes, and second earlier this month in the Grade II Jerome, where he came form off the pace after being pushed four wide around the first turn. He finished that one ahead of Scotland who is 8-1 here. Of the double-digit long shots, Penn-bred Honorable Judge (15-1) was soundly beaten in the Grade III Iroquois Stakes at Churchill, but otherwise has two wins in three career starts.